Hi Landcarer’s

After the week that many have faced, it was honestly a challenge to deliver a column.

As with many events that have been scheduled and cancelled/postponed due to our current conditions, the Lachlan Valley Branch of the National Parks Association walk that was scheduled for this Saturday, 19 November has been cancelled. All of the Goobang National Park has been closed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

It is hoped that walks can resume on 30 November with the walk in Nangar National Park. Make sure that you leave some extra time available to support any businesses in Eugowra that are back and running. Our thoughts are with them after this weeks devastation.

Even though there has been so much devastation that has struck our area over the past few weeks and particularly this week, we have also seen much kindness and support from our communities as well.

As we move forward in the best way possible, we will be looking for reasons and looking for answers as to why these events are occurring in what seems to be with monotonous frequency.

There will be discussions about dam walls and reviews of decision making, perhaps even finger pointing. That seems to be natural human behaviour and to some degrees, it is required to ensure that we have mechanisms in place to support and manage events in the future….but we can’t change the weather…can we? No matter what changes were made in the lead up to these events, the fact is that nothing would have stopped the water that we have experienced, particularly over the last few days.

At this point, I hope that we can all be doing our best to support those who are impacted and be looking at ways that we can further support, volunteer and be kind to one another to help get through the recovery phase.

These events make us reflect on what is important, what we actually need and what is just ‘stuff’. Yesterday I certainly did a lot of that reflection as I went through wet ‘stuff’ to throw out.

I’d encourage you to be thinking of how we can keep our Christmas lead up spending in town. Shopping smarter and shopping locally. Why not encourage friends to spend the weekend and get out shopping?

For further information on this article, please go to www.centralwestlachlanlandcare.org, twitter, facebook or Instagram @cwllandcare or contact Marg Applebee on 0418 611 053.